Latinos for Trump

Latinos for Trump (Latinos para Trump) is a coalition of Latino supporters of Donald Trump, formed in the U.S. state of Florida in June 2019. As of the 2024 presidential election cycle it has expanded beyond Florida with an active presence nationally, especially in the Southwest, Puerto Rico, and the Mexican American community.

As in any election cycle, the Latino vote is split between candidates across the political spectrum. Although the vast majority of Latinos for Trump support came from Hispanic and Latino conservatism, some liberals identified shared priorities.

Background
The historical context for the optimism among Latino Republicans can be traced back to the election of George W. Bush in 2000. Bush secured significant Latino support, showcasing the importance of engaging with the growing Latino population for the Republican Party's future. The history of Latinos for Trump is marked by notable individuals and political shifts within the Hispanic and Latino conservative community.

George Lombardi, an American real estate investor and advisor to Donald Trump, is credited with launching social media groups supporting Trump's candidacy in 2016, including "Latinos for Trump," despite not being officially part of the campaign. Another supporter that wasn't officially part of the campaign, Enrique Tarrio was the Florida state director of the grassroots organization, and also chairman of the Proud Boys.

2020 campaign
The Trump campaign introduced the "Latinos for Trump" coalition, but it sparked tension with early Latino supporters who felt sidelined. These supporters had been working on Latino outreach since the 2016 election under similar names. The original grassroots efforts had significant groundwork, contrasting with the newly launched campaign-backed coalition. Despite disagreements, some early supporters, like Marco Gutierrez remained committed to supporting the president.

The campaign's early days were nevertheless successful in capturing more of the Latino vote. In the 2020 election, Donald Trump's surprising success among Latinos, securing thirty-two percent of the vote, led to a reevaluation of assumptions about Latino political preferences. The movement also found expression in events such as the Latinos for Trump demonstration held in Miami on October 18, 2020. The official Latinos for Trump coalition is credited with helping to secure the Latino vote in Florida.

2024 campaign
Much greater efforts have been put in for the 2024 election cycle, with the Latinos for Trump campaign now focusing on a national scale. The Latinos for Trump campaign is actively engaging with Latino business leaders, celebrities, and media outlets. Especially in courting the Hispanic media and highlighting Latin American foreign relations. The campaign began to engage with the significant support from Hispanic and Latino Trump supporters at Trump's rallies, this includes influencers like Billboard charting hip hop duo Trump Latinos who debuted on the charts with their 2023 song "Latinos For Trump".

Media efforts
Ivan Garcia-Hidalgo, along with executives Michael Caputo and Giancarlo Sopo, former media industry professionals and GOP strategists for the Latinos for Trump coalition, have made efforts to create a conservative media outlet called Americano Media.